The coronavirus does not give way in Argentina. The rate of infections continues to grow and is similar to the worst moments of the pandemic in the country. In the Government they are concerned and they fear an overflow, so they analyze restrictive measures in circulation and nighttime activities. On the Atlantic Coast, meanwhile, they tightened controls to prevent clandestine parties.
Alberto Fernández received Axel Kicillof and Horacio Rodríguez Larreta on Wednesday. The meeting was surprising because it was not on the presidential agenda, but was called in a hurry. The reason: to define the steps to follow in the face of the exponential growth in the rate of cases in recent weeks, especially among the youngest, the age group where infections are multiplying.
In fact, the Government has already launched a campaign that targets the public between 20 and 30 years old, the group most affected by the virus and with the greatest neglect. In that sense, the Chief of Staff Santiago Cafiero published a particular spot on his Twitter account. “Let’s practice citizenship to avoid the second wave of COVID-19,” the official warned.
// Coronavirus in Argentina | The panel of experts that advises the Government warns that if the increase in cases continues “there will be important restrictive measures”
“Touch that remains sanitary”, one of the possibilities
In the meeting, in which the head of Deputies also participated, Sergio Massa; the official legislator Maximum Kirchner; and the deputy head of the Buenos Aires government, Diego Santilli, the President communicated the opinion of the specialists who advise him and suggested the possibility of taking action on the matter. For now, the Social, Preventive and Compulsory Distancing (DISPO) is in force in the country until January 31, but the adoption of a new course to avoid a riot seems a matter of time.
One of the members of the panel of experts with voice and vote in the Casa Rosada, the infectologist Eduardo López, assured this Saturday that if the cases continue to rise, “there will be important restrictive measures”. And he indicated that they consider implementing a “sanitary curfew From 22 hours”.
“France did it from 6:00 p.m. and Spain from 8:00 p.m.”, compared the specialist.
Clandestine parties and the growth of cases in young people
One of the main concerns in the midst of sprouts is the growth of the clandestine parties in different parts of the country. Between the celebrations for the New Year and the mass arrival of young people to the Atlantic Coast, the meetings multiplied and are one of the main sources of contagion.
Only on the first day of 2021, 20 of this kind of celebrations were deactivated in Mar del Plata and the Buenos Aires security forces reinforced controls in all the towns of the Atlantic Coast.
It is that the growth of clandestine parties throughout the country coincides with the rise of infected, which in turn contains a fact: there is an increase in cases in young people between 20 and 30 years old, which are the ones that circulate the most and have the greatest number of daily social contacts. And they are, in short, the most contagious.
According to the latest official data until December 31, almost one in four newly infected in the AMBA is between 20 and 29 years old.
// Coronavirus in Argentina | They reported 20,906 new cases and 212 deaths in the last three days
Fear of the summer season
In parallel, the start of the summer season and the transfer of a large number of tourists to the seaside resorts generate greater concern among the authorities.
Mar del Plata, the main tourist destination in the country, registered the highest number of cases in recent days since October. And the smaller destinations run an even greater risk, if it is noted that the places frequented by visitors are more limited and the health infrastructure is much smaller.
“If there is an outbreak in a small city, hospital saturation is immediately evident. I fear that a family, excited after a hard year, wants to vacation and, suddenly, a mayor says ‘no one else enters my town’ “, sentenced in dialogue with TN Luis Cámera, clinical doctor and member of the committee of experts who advise the Government.
